Scouts win top honors at Camp Morrison

Troop 57 won the Bull of the Woods Honor Troop Award during its recent outing at Camp Morrison.

Mountain Home Boy Scout Troop 57 earned top honors on Friday, July 3, as winners of the "Bull of the Woods Honor Troop Award" at Camp Morrison.

Mountain Home beat out 15 other teams to win.

"I couldn't be prouder of our boys," said Scoutmaster, Tom Lindsay. "They worked very hard to earn the award."

The "Bull of the Woods Troop Award" is Camp Morrison's most prestigious honor and is given to the one troop each week that best displays scout values and spirit.

Troops earn points by participating in various events such as the Bull Run, a relay race, and the Lumberjack games, with hatchet throwing, a log toss, knot identification and other events.

Participation in skits, songs, flag ceremonies, kitchen duties, and service projects earns points for the team.

Troops also must keep their campsites in inspection order and display a sense of comradeship and team spirit.

"We had that in spades," said Assistant Scoutmaster Chris Trouten. One of the troop's favorite ways to show spirit was by calling cadence while marching to camp meetings. "When it came time to gather at the flag everyone knew Troop 57 was coming," Trouten said.

The troop sent 18 boys to camp this year, the largest group it has ever sent. They were the second largest group in attendance that week.

Half the group had never been to Morrison before and many of those boys were first-year Boy Scouts, having recently crossed over from the Cub Scout ranks.

"Eighteen is quite a large group to get to work together," said Lindsay. "This is a reflection on how well our elected scouts -- the senior patrol leader and the patrol leaders -- worked together."

Assistant Scoutmasters James Fatzinger, Steve Hudson, Mike Knox, and Chris Trouten accompanied the boys and provided adult leadership during the week.

Troop 57 had won the award before, for four straight years between 2001 and 2005, but this is the first time since 2005 that the troop has won.

Still, Lindsay says he doesn't like to stay too focused on competition. "I believe it is more important for our scouts to learn the life skills that scouting provides."

Camp Morrison is sponsored by the Ore-Ida Council of the Boy Scouts of America and is located just outside McCall on the shores of Payette Lake. The camp offers week-long opportunities for scouts of all ages to earn merit badges, develop leadership skills, and enjoy some summer fun. It hosts scouts from Idaho, Oregon, and Utah.

Troop 57 meets at the First Congregational United Church of Christ.